Two, It Brings Out the Best In You

When you say or do something you later regret, maybe by reacting too quickly and snapping, you often use the expression “Well, I was just not myself that day because I was ____ (fill in the blank: tired/drunk/stressed…”). When you’re happy, however, you often actually do feel like yourself because happiness brings out the best in you.

Why? Because instead of focusing on yourself, your attention is freed up to notice others. Think about it, when you’re down in the dumps, it’s all about me, myself, and I. And there’s research to back that up too (anxious and depressed moods lead to an increase in self-focus). However, when you feel positive emotions, on the other hand, research shows that your perspective broadens and it’s more easy to reach out to others and connect as well as to see things from a broader (wiser?) perspective (for more on that, see research by Barbara Fredrickson of the University of North-Carolina at Chapel Hill).

Think about it, on a “life sucks” day, we can get so tunnel-visioned in our grumpiness that we won’t even notice a friend walk by. However, on a day when you are feeling great, you are more likely to notice if someone needs help and to reach out a helping hand. (Ironically, for that reason, a great way to increase our happiness is to be empathetic, to reach out and to help others.)

So... Happiness leads to empathy or empathy leads to happiness?

both.  it's a full circle of happy empathy!

i liked this article a lot.  i wished i had written it!  :)

Perhaps you could write the sequel.